American League Roundup : Rookie Loynd Snaps Ranger Slump in Debut

Mike Loynd tied an NCAA record with 20 victories for Florida State this season. The Texas Rangers asked him for just one Thursday night, and he gave it to them.

Loynd, 24, pitched six strong innings in his major league debut and helped the Rangers snap a seven-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Arlington, Tex.

“I expected to be more nervous,” said Loynd, who was making his sixth start in professional baseball. “I was relaxed the whole time. Getting the first strike helped.”

Loynd, a right-hander, allowed just five hits and outpitched 47-year-old knuckleballer Phil Niekro, who was chased in the fourth inning as Texas built a 6-1 lead.

Loynd, who struck out six, ran into trouble in the seventh as Mel Hall and Julio Franco singled with none out. Ranger reliever Dale Mohorcic allowed runs to score on Brook Jacoby’s double and Chris Bando’s infield out, but finished up and got his first save.

Texas’ Don Slaught hit his 10th homer in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rangers bunched four hits to score three runs in the second, two on Curtis Wilkerson’s triple.

Texas chased Niekro when Pete O’Brien and Pete Incaviglia singled home runs in the fourth. The Rangers made it 6-1 in the sixth on Oddibe McDowell’s single, two groundouts and Bryan Oelkers’ wild pitch.

Scott Fletcher of Texas went hitless in three trips and had his hitting streak halted at 19 games.

Kansas City 1, Detroit 0--Lonnie Smith broke up a scoreless game in the eighth inning with his fifth home run to push the Royals past the Tigers at Detroit.

The Royals’ Scott Bankhead (4-4) gave up seven hits and struck out seven in seven innings. Dan Quisenberry got his ninth save by retiring Alan Trammell with runners on first and second and two out in the ninth.

Randy O’Neal (1-5) checked Kansas City on three hits until Smith’s one-out homer.

Baltimore 12, Chicago 6--Rick Dempsey’s three-run homer capped a seven-run first inning and the Orioles hit three more home runs while trouncing the White Sox at Baltimore.

Jim Dwyer and Lee Lacy also homered and drove in three runs apiece for the Orioles, and rookie Jim Traber hit his fourth homer in five games.

The Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning against Joe Cowley (5-6). Chicago’s John Cangelosi and Greg Walker homered off Mike Flanagan (5-6).